The practical applications of solid waste management for base camps during peacekeeping operations in Africa

Abstract

While it has become the United Nations (UN) responsibility to peacekeep the world’s most conflict ridden countries, so too has their impact on the physical environment increased. Large numbers of personnel require equally vast amount of logistical requirements and equipment for the sustainment of operations. Base camps are the focal points from which operations are managed in the field. The ability of peacekeeping base camps to handle their solid waste, both on-site and off-site in low capacity environments, has gained greater attention as environmental concerns have increased globally. Interviews conducted with the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) (acting as a current Troop Contributing Country (TCC) to the United Nations (UN) peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo) determined the problems facing appropriate solid waste collection, treatment and disposal methods utilized in and outside peacekeeping base camps and their specific limitations. It was found that there was inefficient monitoring and follow up processes involved with solid waste contracting providers; that there is a need for the inclusion of focused solutions during the operational planning stages; and, there is a deficiency in placed responsibility both from within a TCC and between the UN as to how and whom should manage the solid waste emanating from within base camps. This MA dissertation achieved the understanding that there must be greater focus placed on the delineation of responsibility for the management of solid waste within base camps in the documents that initially structure operations between TCCs, the UN and host nations, thereby limiting the impact on the physical environment from peacekeeping to the furthest extent possible.